A bungling burglar’s luck ran out when he raided an amusement arcade only for police to catch him the act hiding behind an arcade machine.
The odds were stacked against crook Tristram Francis when police turned up as he raided the entertainment venue on Bognor Regis Pier in Sussex.
CCTV footage shows Francis, 40, forcing open an ATM machine, helping himself to cash from a fruit machine and smashing a glass window during his rampage.
But it was game over when uniformed officers turned up and found him cowering behind a dance game.
One cop can be heard telling him: “I can ID you mate, I nicked you the other day.”
Sussex Police said the prolific offender was caught when the force responded to an intruder alarm at Neptunes Arcade shortly before 5am on August 29.
Bobbies found the front doors forced open and shards of glass scattered across the floor. They searched for suspects inside but failed to locate anyone, until the sound of coins was heard behind one of the machines.
Francis was discovered hiding and refused to come out, forcing officers to grab hold of him to detain him.
The force said he’d also burgled an office in Brighton, where he stole around £3,000 worth of electrical equipment including laptops, cameras and charging cables.
Francis pleaded guilty to both offences and was given a suspended jail sentence at Crawley Magistrates’ Court on Monday, November 27.
He was also required to take part in a drug rehabilitation program for the next 12 months.
Speaking after sentencing, investigating officer Caitlin O’Dwyer said: “Despite his clear dependency on drug use, the actions of Francis on these two occasions were completely unacceptable.
“He caused thousands of pounds worth of damage to an arcade frequented by families, locals and tourists, and the business owners were faced with the massive inconvenience of getting that damage repaired.
“He also stole numerous electrical items from an office in Brighton, again causing a huge inconvenience to the victims. We hope this conviction enables Francis to receive the help he needs to get him back on the right path.
“He has been warned that if he commits any further offences within the next 18 months, he could face immediate imprisonment.”
